Television viewers in Hong Kong are set for a dynamic new Saturday evening offering with the debut of Sing for Money (唱錢), an innovative interactive music game show premiering on TVB Jade starting January 24th, airing at 8:30 PM.
The program, led by veteran hosts Sammy and Eric Kwok (郭偉亮), alongside Plan V member Desta Lee, flips the script on traditional singing competitions. Instead of focusing on vocal emotion, clarity, or stage presence, Sing for Money places a singular, high-stakes demand on contestants: absolute pitch and 100% accurate rhythm. The goal is simple—”Drop the Beat, Hit the Pitch”—to advance toward a grand prize of HK$100,000.
Pitch Perfect: A Data-Driven Challenge
What sets Sing for Money apart is its reliance on a sophisticated, data-driven system developed over years by TVB’s engineering teams in collaboration with Eric Kwok, who also serves as the show’s Musical Director. The program bypasses human judges entirely, using a custom-built, professional pitch analysis system that provides instant, real-time feedback on every note and beat accuracy. This scoring system transforms the competition into a high-octane, video-game-like experience.
Contestants navigate a randomized “three-in-a-row” challenge, tackling songs categorized into nine escalating difficulty levels.
The Gauntlet of Difficulty
The game mechanics are structured as follows:
- Difficulty Scaling: Songs are assigned difficulty ratings from Level 1 to Level 9, with the most formidable challenges designated as Monster stages.
- Winning Conditions: Participants draw a unique “three-in-a-row” grid. Success requires clearing three interconnected song squares, regardless of their difficulty order.
- Progressive Rewards: Clearing the first successful line earns the contestant an immediate cash prize of HK$1,000. Winnings accumulate with each subsequent pass. To claim the maximum HK$100,000 jackpot, contestants must successfully complete all nine song levels.
Eric Kwok is responsible for grading the difficulty coefficients for every song, while Desta Lee helps viewers understand the distinct nuances and technical hurdles inherent in each musical selection.
Celebrity vs. Civilian Showdowns
To maintain a fresh and engaging viewing experience, Sing for Money introduces two distinct competition formats: the “Civilian Edition” and the “Celebrity Edition.”
The Civilian Edition features solo participants competing solely for the HK$100,000 personal prize. In contrast, the Celebrity Edition, which will air periodically as a surprise monthly offering, sees celebrity singers competing primarily to win prizes and cash for the viewers at home.
Adding a further layer of interactivity, the show’s inaugural promotions indicate that successful passes by both celebrity and civilian contestants unlock opportunities for home viewers to win cash prizes, starting at HK$500.
The show integrates a digital component through a dedicated live broadcast room for each episode, hosted by the remaining four members of Plan V: Alice Kwong, Penn Pang, Sunny Chan, and Junho Hou. This interactive element aims to broaden audience engagement beyond the traditional linear broadcast format, aligning the show with modern viewing habits where real-time, online commentary enhances the competition. Sing for Money is poised to reward musical precision and turn accurate rhythm into cold, hard cash.
